Updating . .   

DWP customers in L.A. face two-day-a-week water restrictions, with eight minute limit -- Nearly 4 million Angelenos will be reduced to two-day-a-week watering restrictions on June 1 under drought rules released by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power on Tuesday. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/22

Facing a new climate reality, Southern California lawns could wither -- The region’s adopted unprecedented water conservation measures to cope with its relentless drought, sparking a backlash. Joshua Partlow in the Washington Post$ -- 5/10/22

In drought-ravaged California, water use is up dramatically -- California’s drought is worsening and yet residents used more water in March than any month since 2015, defying pleas for conservation from Gov. Gavin Newsom and other authorities, state officials announced Tuesday. Adam Beam Associated Press -- 5/10/22

California drought: State ignores Gavin Newsom’s conservation goal, increases water use -- March water use increased 18.9% compared to March 2022; Newsom asked for 15% conservation. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/10/22

Policy and Politics  

Elon Musk says he would reverse Twitter's permanent Trump ban -- Elon Musk said Tuesday that he would reverse Twitter's permanent ban of former President Trump if his $44 billion bid to buy the company is successful. Musk told the Financial Times that the ban "was morally wrong and flat out stupid." Trump has publicly said he would not return to the social media platform and will instead use his own platform, Truth Social. Jacob Knutson Axios -- 5/10/22

Garofoli: What Chesa Boudin could use to survive the recall: An opponent -- Gov. Gavin Newsom survived the recall attempt against him last year in part because he could contrast himself with the candidate polls predicted was most likely would replace him: conservative talk show host Larry Elder, a Donald Trump admirer out of step with most Californians on key issues. Newsom couldn’t have concocted a better opponent in a laboratory, and crushed the recall bid. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/10/22

These are now the 10 tightest 2022 House races in California. Here’s the latest -- With June primaries swiftly approaching for this year’s United States House of Representatives’ elections, analysts have updated their ratings on which races could decide whether Republicans or Democrats hold the power in 2023. Several elections in California could determine if the GOP and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, control the chamber. Gillian Brassil in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/10/22

Barabak: Is Gavin Newsom running for president? No, it just sounds like it -- Gavin Newsom sounds like a man ready to jump on the next flight to Iowa or New Hampshire or wherever Democrats start their 2024 presidential campaign. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/22

Lawmakers call for inquiry into state Controller Betty Yee’s role in failed mask deal -- California lawmakers say they are troubled by state Controller Betty Yee’s behind-the-scenes advice to a politically-connected company seeking a $600-million no-bid government contract to provide COVID-19 masks, prompting some to call for a second legislative hearing into the failed deal. Melody Gutierrez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/22

Goldberg: If Rick Caruso becomes mayor, will Los Angeles be all dancing fountains and trolley rides? -- You don’t see poor people at the Grove. Homeless people don’t pitch tents by the fountain. The ground is litter-free, the shoppers seem generally cheerful, affluent and eager to buy and spend. Families lounge on the grass, their shopping bags nearby. Nicholas Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/22

Mitchell: Redistricting, elections: Surprises await, and no perfect roadmap -- For the past two years, redistricting experts and politicos, myself included, have been building toward the 2022 election cycle. A big part of this included building tools for analyzing potential new districts for their partisan breakdown and likely voting behavior. Paul Mitchell Capitol Weekly -- 5/10/22

Workplace   

They helped build Save Mart in California. Now retirees feel betrayed by sudden benefit cut -- In late April, retired nonunion employees of The Save Mart Companies various brands, including the some 200 Save Mart, Lucky California and FoodMaxx stores across Northern California and Northern Nevada, received letters saying their supplemental health care benefits would stop at the end of June. Marijke Rowland in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/10/22

This California company made its 4-day work week permanent. Do fewer hours help or hurt? -- If every weekend was a long one, would we all be happier? While some companies, and California lawmakers, pursue a four-day work week, experts told The Bee it’s not about the hours — it’s the flexibility that ultimately creates a more balanced workplace. Noor Adatia and Brianna Taylor in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/10/22

COVID  

With COVID back on the rise, some cities, agencies mulling a return of health mandates -- As the Bay Area braces for yet another COVID-19 surge, a few cities and agencies are reinstating indoor mask mandates as the region continues debating the worth of a patchwork of coronavirus-related health orders. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/10/22

This company was accused of exploiting the coronavirus testing boom to reap millions -- Katy Strouk said she was puzzled last year when, after getting her nose swabbed for her coronavirus test, she was pointed to a woman seated at a table in the parking lot. The Brentwood resident walked over and answered a few questions about how she was feeling, then headed off to work in the Fairfax district, she said. Strouk was even more puzzled when she got the paperwork from her insurance company, which listed more than $600 in charges from “Jeff Toll Md Inc.” Emily Alpert Reyes, Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/22

Roseville restaurant that hosted ‘Newsom hour’ facing 30-day closure over COVID order -- A Roseville restaurant that provocatively defied one of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s coronavirus emergency orders is fighting a potentially crippling suspension 18 months after he initially drew attention from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Molly Sullivan in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/10/22

Education  

Where does student loan forgiveness stand? Borrowers wait anxiously on Biden -- Kayla Camacho was halfway through her master’s degree when federal student loan payments were paused in March 2020. Arit John in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/22

Environment  

Another Bay Area county bans single-use plastic for takeout food -- On Tuesday Marin County approved a ban on single-use plastic foodware in everything from to-go clamshells to straws. Tara Duggan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/10/22

Why can’t smoggy SoCal improve air quality? Local regulators blame the federal government -- With smoggy Southern California poised to miss a critical clean air goal next year, local regulators are now threatening to sue the Environmental Protection Agency, saying the federal government has made their job “impossible.” Tony Briscoe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/22

Street  

Mike Tyson will not face charges following SFO altercation -- Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson will not face charges for allegedly punching a man in the face on a flight preparing to depart from San Francisco International Airport, the San Mateo County District Attorney announced Tuesday. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Summer Lin in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/10/22

Sforza: Can Santa Ana PD sergeant-turned association president sweeten pension for life? -- Despite pleading guilty to misappropriating public funds, the Huntington Beach resident was collecting $551,688 a year from the California Public Employees’ Retirement System in 2015. How? By crediting himself with separate salaries for serving as the city of Vernon’s administrator, finance director, redevelopment director, clerk, treasurer and head of municipal light and power operations — all at the same time! Once shaken by the proverbial collar, though, CalPERS slashed his pension down to $120,530. Malkenhorst sued to stop it. He lost. Teri Sforza in the Orange County Register -- 5/10/22

Guns  

Gun ownership data are often limited — and the NRA knows it stands in the way -- California has long played a pivotal role in the study of gun violence, maintaining a unique repository of detailed information on gun owners that it shares with researchers. Will Van Sant in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/22

Gun deaths surged during the pandemic’s first year, the C.D.C. reports -- Gun deaths reached the highest level ever recorded in the United States in 2020, the first year of the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Tuesday. Gun-related homicides in particular rose by 35 percent, a surge that exacted an unprecedented toll on Black men, agency researchers said. Roni Caryn Rabin in the New York Times$ Zusha Elinson in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/10/22

Immigration   

A refugee and his son wanted to reunite with their Bay Area family. But first they had to overcome a ‘horror show’ at the border -- For the second time in less than a year, Colas and his son were attempting to reunite with the rest of their Haitian family in the Bay Area and stake an asylum claim. Their quest brought them to Reynosa, Mexico, where a group of volunteers are helping fellow migrants navigate the legal asylum process in the era of Title 42, the public health policy that closed the border during the pandemic and whose future is being debated in court. Deepa Fernandes in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/10/22

California Policy and Politics Tuesday Morning  

It’s not even summer, and California’s two largest reservoirs are at ‘critically low’ levels -- At a point in the year when California’s water storage should be at its highest, the state’s two largest reservoirs have already dropped to critically low levels — a sobering outlook for the hotter and drier months ahead. Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/22

“Water cops” likely this summer as Santa Clara County misses drought goal by large margin -- Since last summer, Santa Clara County residents have been asked to cut water use by 15% from 2019 levels to conserve as the state’s drought worsens. But they continue to miss that target — and by a growing amount. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/10/22

Policy and Politics  

If Roe is overturned, it might mark the first time the Supreme Court declared an individual right, then took it back -- The Supreme Court denied a right to racial integration in 1896, then granted it 58 years later. The court upheld a state ban on interracial marriage in 1883 and, after an even longer interval, recognized a right to marriage between races in 1967, in the aptly named case of Loving v. Virginia. The justices rejected a right to gay and lesbian sexual relations in 1986 and reversed themselves in 2003. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/10/22

Amid a police reform movement, London Breed picked S.F. police spokesperson. It wasn’t an accident -- Mayor London Breed’s appointment of new District Six Supervisor Matt Dorsey — who served as spokesperson for the San Francisco Police Department — signals she’s leaning into the tough-on-crime image she’s been burnishing for months. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Scott Shafer KQED -- 5/10/22

Who is Matt Dorsey? What we know about Mayor Breed’s new appointee to the S.F. Board of Supervisors -- Dorsey supports creating a supervised drug consumption site San Francisco and bolstering abstinence-focused rehab programs. He also told The Chronicle he wants to see police crack down on drug dealers. Dorsey describes himself as uniquely qualified to address the drug crisis as someone who has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/10/22

Are California companies about to get more transparent? -- California legislators are advancing two bills that would require companies to report more data about pay and internal practices. Business groups oppose the bills and say the data could be taken out of context. Grace Gedye CalMatters -- 5/10/22

Protesters in ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ outfits disrupt Mass at downtown L.A. cathedral -- Videos posted to social media seemed to indicate the demonstrators were protesting against the U.S. Supreme Court’s expected overturning of Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide. Gregory Yee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/22

Walters: California crises abound, but they won’t be debated -- California voters will receive their mail ballots for the June 7 primary election this week and most will be surprised to learn that there are 25 candidates seeking to unseat Gov. Gavin Newsom. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 5/10/22

Workplace   

Cedars-Sinai workers strike for first time in decades, seek higher wages amid inflation -- The previous three-year contract between Cedars-Sinai, a nonprofit healthcare organization, and the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West expired March 31 and the next round of negotiation is set to take place Tuesday. Somesh Jha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/22

Look inside ‘League of Legends’ creator Riot Games’ L.A. home. It’s cooler than where you work -- A pleasantly arresting aroma of coffee and bourbon envelops visitors long before they walk into Bilgewater Brew. The coffeehouse has cheery baristas and a pastry chef who prepares java-friendly snacks such as vegan, keto and gluten-free muffins. The theme is pirate nautical, complete with dripping water sound effects. Roger Vincent in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/22

Street  

Knock LA journalists sue Los Angeles over LAPD arrests at Echo Park protest -- Jonathan Peltz and Kathleen Gallagher, both of the online news outlet Knock LA, were covering protests over the removal of a homeless encampment from the banks of Echo Park Lake on the evening of March 25, 2021, when Los Angeles police declared the gathering unlawful, surrounded the protesters and journalists gathered there and began detaining and arresting them. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/22

Kings County D.A. drops prosecution of drug-user who gave birth to stillborn baby -- Adora Perez had pleaded no-contest to manslaughter in 2018, to avoid a murder charge for her 2017 stillbirth and was sentenced by a judge to the maximum term of 11 years in prison. But another judge overturned her conviction — ruling that manslaughter applies only to the death of a human being, not a fetus — and freed her on bail this March. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/10/22

San Francisco’s legal logjam -- At the start of this year, there were just under 250 people in our county jails whose trial dates had passed, according to the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office. It’s a legal logjam that grew during the height of the COVID pandemic. But it’s not getting better. In fact, it’s gotten so bad that Public Defender Mano Raju has filed a petition with the California Court of Appeals, asking the higher court to force the reopening of more courtrooms in The City. Al Saracevic in the San Francisco Examiner -- 5/10/22

COVID  

COVID: VTA vaccination rate surges to 90% as holdouts face possible pink slip -- The chances of hopping on a VTA bus with an unvaccinated driver are increasingly slim as the agency reports a 90% COVID vaccination rate after threatening to fire employees who didn’t get the jab by the end of April. Still, nearly 100 holdouts have yet to report their vaccine status or receive an exemption and could soon face pink slips. Eliyahu Kamisher in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/10/22

With COVID back on the rise, some cities, agencies mulling a return of health mandates -- As the Bay Area braces for yet another COVID-19 surge, a few cities and agencies are reinstating indoor mask mandates as the region continues debating the worth of a patchwork of coronavirus-related health orders. Since late March, California’s case rate has nearly tripled and the Bay Area — which historically experienced a lower case rate than the rest of the state — has emerged as a COVID hotspot. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/10/22

COVID hospital, death numbers remain low in LA County despite case increases -- With COVID-related hospital numbers and deaths remaining low despite rising case numbers, Los Angeles County health officials on Monday, May 9, touted what they called the effectiveness of vaccines and boosters in preventing serious illness from infection. The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/10/22

UCSF’s Bob Wachter was traveling with his wife when she tested positive for COVID. Here’s how they handled it -- After more than two years of diligently following COVID-19 safety measures, avoiding high-risk situations, and sharing pointers with his legion of social media followers, Dr. Bob Wachter, UCSF’s chair of medicine, found the pandemic hitting close to home over the weekend. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/10/22

Homeless  

How many people are homeless in San Francisco? Data reveals a worsening crisis -- There are a variety of metrics collected by local, state and federal agencies that attempt to quantify homelessness. While each of those measurements help in piecing together the state of homelessness in the city, they are all estimating a different part of the problem, and have drawbacks. Based on all the different pieces, the latest best estimates of homelessness range from 8,000 to more than 19,000. Yoohyun Jung, Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/10/22

Housing   

Economic shocks yet to strike Bay Area home prices -- Bay Area home prices showed no sign of slowing down in March, as buyers rushed in to take advantage of low interest rates before the recent turbulence in the economy hiked the cost of borrowing money. Louis Hansen in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/10/22

Education  

Sonoma State president ‘should step down’ amid sex harassment scandal, lawmakers say -- Two state senators on Monday called for embattled President Judy Sakaki of Sonoma State to step down after a no confidence vote by faculty amid a scandal over her alleged retaliation against a former provost who reported sexual harassment claims against her husband. Colleen Shalby, Robert J. Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/22

Mater Dei football players allegedly sexually assaulted teammate, police record says -- A handful of short sentences written by a police dispatcher laid out the allegation in stark detail. Connor Sheets, Hannah Fry, Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ Scott M. Reid and Tony Saavedra in the Orange County Register -- 5/10/22

More racist images, social media accounts emerge, targeting Black students in Fresno -- Leaders of the Black Student Unions at Bullard and Edison high schools identified multiple accounts at middle and high schools that have been posting photos of Black students from Fresno-area middle schools and high schools without their consent. The accounts have also reposted racist images from the eras of slavery and Jim Crow. Some of the images depict violence against Black people. Julianna Morano in the Fresno Bee$ -- 5/10/22

Students from across California share experiences with campus gun violence -- As California leads the nation in the number of mass shootings in the past 40 years, students, teachers and parents are seeking ways to ensure safety in schools. Raya Torres, Megan Tagami, Lauren Berny, Efren Gutierrez, Brenda Verano, Nova Blanco-Rico, Erik Adams EdSource -- 5/10/22

Also . . .   

Want to help Ukraine? Bring a needed skill or stay home and send money -- Two days after Russian forces invaded Ukraine, the World Health Organization issued a global request: The war-torn country needed doctors, nurses and EMTs with experience in complex emergencies. Within days, a 22-person group from Team Rubicon, an international disaster-response nonprofit based near Los Angeles International Airport, flew to Krakow, Poland. Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/22

Marcus Yam, Los Angeles Times foreign correspondent and photojournalist, wins Pulitzer -- Los Angeles Times foreign correspondent and photojournalist Marcus Yam was awarded the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography on Monday for his compelling coverage of the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban. It is remarkable that he won journalism’s highest honor in his first year as a foreign correspondent. This Pulitzer is the culmination of all the great work Yam has produced over the last seven years at the Los Angeles Times. Calvin Hom in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/22

Gabrielle Lurie, Chronicle photographer, named Pulitzer finalist -- Lurie was recognized for her photos with a Chronicle story about a woman who set out to save her daughter from a fentanyl addiction on the streets of San Francisco. Judges called the photos “intimate and harrowing.” Andres Picon in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/10/22

Rodney King’s youngest daughter, Tristan, reported missing from Santa Monica -- Tristan King, 29, was last seen in Las Vegas on April 26, according to the Santa Monica Police Department. She told her family she was traveling to the Los Angeles area to go to the beach in Santa Monica and see family in Fullerton. Gregory Yee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/22

Westminster park renamed after first Vietnamese American elected to public office -- Tony Lam has made an enduring mark on Orange County politics and the Vietnamese community. Lam, 85, became the first Vietnamese American elected to public office in the United States when he won a seat on the Westminster City Council in 1992. Ben Brazil in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/22